Article-handling tool



Patented Sept. 15, 1942 ARTICLE -HANDLING TOOL William H. Hal-stick,Richmond, Ind., assignor to International Harvester Company, acorporation of New Jersey Application July 25, 1940, Serial No. 347,451

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an article-handling tool. More specifically itrelates to a tool for removing disks from a cream separator.

The patent to Harstick No. 2,194,204 issued 'March 19, 1940, showsseveral modifications of a tool for removing disks from a creamseparator, and the present application relates to the same type of toolimproved in a number of respects.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improvedarticle-handling tool.

A further object is the production of an improved tool for removingdisks from a cream separator.

According to the present invention, the improved tool comprises a frameand a plurality of rotatable rods having portions near but spaced. fromone end, which are adapted to engage in a locking manner the lowermostdisk of a stack of cream separator disks, so that the disks may beremoved from the separator for washing. During washing, the disks aremoved up and down in water by means of the tool and may be separatedfrom one another easily for proper cleaning action because the lowermostdisk is held locked to the tool.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the improved tool of the presentinvention inserted into a stack of separator disks for removal of thedisks from a cream separator bowl;

Figure 2 is a top view of the tool;

Figure 3 is an elevational View of the tool taken along the lines 33of'Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the lines 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a detail view, showing the manner in which the lowermostdisk of a stack of separator disks is engaged by the tool; and,

Figure 6 is a plan view of the lowermost disk, showing one rod of thetool engaging the disk.

In Figure 1 there is shown a cream separator bowl base l0 supported on arotatable driving shaft H and having a central tubular portion |2extending upwardly in line with the shaft. A heavy disk I3 is mounted onthe separator bowl base, and upon this disk is positioned a stack ofseparating disks l4 having diametrically opposed holes [5 therein.

The disk-removing tool of the present invention is shown in position forremoval of the separator disks. This tool comprises a frame l6 formed insymmetrical halves l1 and I3 and held together by a bolt l9 and nut 20,and a pair of rods 2|, each extending through an opening in the frame l6and having at one end adjacent the frame a crank arm portion 22 and anoffset shoulder lug 23 near to but spaced from the other end. As shownin Figure l, the offset shoulder lugs 23 extend toward one another andengage in a mating recess 24 formed as part of the opening l5 in thelowermost or heavy disk I3, so that this disk is locked against movementwith respect to the rods 2|. The rods 2| are inserted in positionthrough the disks l4 and the disk l3, with the lugs 23 extendingparallel to one another, so that the lugs may pass through the holes I5,which are elliptical, as shown in Figure 5.

Each rod 2| has an abutment portion 25 at the end near the crank armportion 22'. The abutment portions are engaged by notched ends ofaspring element 26 which is engaged at its mid-section by interiorprojections 21 and 28 extending respectively from the halves I1 and l8'constituting the frame It. The action of the spring element 26 inpressing against the abutment portions 25 is to urge the crank armportions against the frame It. In the position of the rods 2|, in whichthey lock in engagement with the bottom disk l3, the crank arm portions22 extend toward one another in sockets 29 formed between shoulders orstop portions 33 and 3|. Thus, the crank arm portions 22 are held lockedin the sockets 29. There are also shoulders or stop portions 32 whichform with the shoulders and 3| sockets 33 and 34, respectively. For theinsertion of the rods 2| through the holes I5 in the disks, thecrank-arm portions 22 are positioned either in sockets 33 or sockets 34.

At the side of the frame It opposite that against which the crank-armportions 22 rest are outwardly extending, curved projections 35 on theoutside of the rods 2|. On the same side of the frame I6 is also acentrally extending projection 36. During removal of the disks l3 and Mfrom the cream separator bowl base In by means of the tool, an operatorshand is caused to grasp the frame I6, with the little and index fingersengaging the projections 35 and the middle and ring fingers on bothsides of the projection 36, and the palm of the hand resting against theopposite side of the frame It and the crank arm portions 22. Thus, thecrank-arm portions are held in the position in which they extend towardone another not only through the action of the spring element 26 actingagainst the projections 21 and 28 and the abutment portions 25,.but alsoby the hand of the operator which rests against the crank-arm portionsWith the fingers engaging the projections at the opposite side of theframe.

As previously stated, the lugs 23 are spaced from the lower ends of therods 2|. The spacing is such that the rods may be inserted in theopenings l5 and caused to rest against the bowl base l0. With the rodsresting against the bowl base, the lugs 23 are opposite the recesses 24in the openings in the lower disk l3 and come into locking engagementwith the recesses through turning of the rods.

As will be apparent from the foregoing description, the improved tool ofthe present invention has four advantages over the above mentionedHarstick patent. The article-engaging lugs are spaced from one end ofthe rods, so that the proper positioning of the lugs for engagement isautomatically gauged by abutment of the rods against the cream separatorbowl base; the lugs on the rods have a locking engagement with the Hlowermost disk so that washing of the stack of disks is facilitated; therods are locked in engaging position against rotation through the actionof a simple spring element which is cheap and easy to install; andlocking of the rods against rotation is also insured by a special shapeof frame which permits grasping by the hand of the operator in such away that the hand itself prevents rotation of the rods.

The intention is to limit the invention only within the terms of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A tool for lifting apertured elements from a body comprising a frameand a pair of spaced substantially parallel rods, each mounted adjacentone end thereof for rotation about its own axis in the frame, said rodseach having an offset shoulder lug near but spaced from the other endand projecting in a single radial direction, and means at said frame endof each rod to rotate the rods to one position in which the lugs face ina direction to permit insertion of the rods into the apertured articlesand thereafter to rotate the rods to another position in which the lugsface in a direction to permit the lugs to have locking engagement withthe lowermost one of the apertured elements for lifting all of theelements, the spacing of the lugs from the ends of the rods being suchthat contact with the interior of the body by the ends of the rodsassures positioning of the lugs with respect to the lowermost aperturedelement for locking engagement with said element upon rotation of therods.

2. A tool for lifting apertured elements from a body comprising a frameand a pair of spaced substantially parallel rods, each mounted adjacentone end thereof for rotation about its own axis in the frame, said rodsat their other ends each having an elongated offset shoulder lug nearbut spaced from said other end and having its greater length extendingin a single radial direction with respect to said rod, and means at saidframe end of each rod to rotate the rods to one position in which thelugs face in a direction to permit insertion of the rods into theapertured articles and thereafter to rotate the rods to another positionin which the lugs face in a direction to permit the lugs to have lockingengagement with the lowermost one of the apertured elements for liftingall of the elements, the spacing of the lugs from the ends of the rodsbeing such that contact with the interior of the body by the ends of therods assures positioning of the lugs with respect to the lowermostapertured element for locking engagement with said element upon rotationof the rods.

3. A tool as set forth in claim 2, each rod having at the end adjacentthe frame a crank portion by means of which rotation of the rod iseffected.

4. An article-handling tool comprising a leg having handle meansassociated with one end and an offset shoulder lug near but spaced fromthe other end, whereby the leg may be inserted through an aperturedelement so as to abut the said other end against a member from which theapertured element is to be removed, and the leg may be turned so as tocause the offset shoulder lug to have locking engagement with theapertured element.

WILLIAM H. HARSTICK.

